Dubai pre-school makes good on sale of mini masterpieces

Proceeds raised from the sale of selected children’s creative art works, donated to one local non-profit, is the culmination of the academic year for a Jumeira based pre-school. The silent auction also produced a record sale for one collective work created by students aged 5 and 6 years which fetched 3,000 AED alone. The creative works, a collection of art inspired by the great artists of our time, is the annual “Caravan of Colours” initiative by the Taaleem pre-school and proved to be their best year yet.

24th June 2015 Dubai, UAE

The Children’s Garden, a Dubai based pre-school, leading provider of creative arts based education in the UAE, and proponent of charitable giving, presented today a cheque for the amount of 6,000 AED (six thousand dirham’s) to 4get-me-not, an organization committed to raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in the UAE. The donation was made during a ceremony at the Jumeira pre-school on Tuesday 23rd June, witnessed by parents, faculty and stakeholders of 4get-me-not. It proved to be a resounding success and testament to the sheer excellence in artistic talent being demonstrated by the students of The Children’s Garden.

4get-me-not, is a non-profit organization which aims to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and improve quality of life for patients, families and caregivers in the UAE. The donation will be used to further support those who live with this mysterious and debilitating disease, and to continue to promote understanding within the community. Desiree Vlekken, Founder and CEO of 4get-me-not org said of the school’s presentation “We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to receive this amazing gesture. The Children’s Garden have been an ardent supporter of 4get-me-not since its inception and have been constant in their charitable giving over the last decade. These young children continue to surprise us with their artistic talents and their joy and expression of care to people in need. This gesture reflects the true spirit of Ramadan and we thank the parents, teachers and students of the Children’s Garden for this special CSR donation”

The pre-school which is part of Taaleem and celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, follows The International Curriculum for Languages and Creative Arts (ICLCA) and has been inspiring students to recreate their own interpretations of the great modern and contemporary masterpieces. Their annual “Caravan of Colours” exhibition charted the artistic journey of its students and was the culmination of their academic year, resulting in selected works being showcased in exhibition, then sold in a silent auction. The event was well participated by parents and teachers. The silent auction generated 12,000 AED in overall sales, and included a record sale of one interpretation inspired by Andy Warhol, called “A Rainbow Cow” a collective work produced by 5 and 6 year old students using oil paint, which fetched 3,000 AED. It represents an incredible amount raised in the sale of children’s art, a sign of the growing interest in art generally in Dubai and is testament to the depth of support for the school initiative.

Director of the Children’s Garden, Birgit A Ertl, a passionate advocate of arts, languages and holistic pre-school education, has played an integral role in shaping the landscape of international education for 40 years. Of the charitable presentation today Ertl said “I am immensely proud of our students. With each new term, the children continue demonstrate a growing appreciation of art in all of its forms, they are truly inspired. The art pieces they have created are not only stunning interpretations, but mini-masterpieces in their own right. Our initiative gives the students a platform they richly deserve, while also helping to raise funds for local not for profit organizations such as 4get-me-not. Parents and teachers were able to bid for their favourite pieces and we have been astounded by their generosity. Fifty percent of the proceeds will ploughed back into funding our art department, the rest we are delighted to have presented to 4get-me-not today. We are delighted to continue supporting 4get-me-not, and we look forward to working alongside them on joint initiatives later on in the year. It is fantastic to know that this small gesture will add such tremendous value to the good work they are doing in the community. I invite everyone to come and see the great arts that our children are producing, and to understand the importance of raising awareness in Alzheimer’s in our community”.

About the publisher

About The Children’s Garden

The Children’s Garden exists to tap the remarkable potential of children from two years of age, providing a fantastic foundation for their future learning and development. English, French, Arabic and German are the languages of instruction, best suited to children who can stay for a minimum of three years, allowing time for your child to become fluent in their chosen languages. The Children’s Garden is part a Taaleem School and is currently in its tenth year. Enrolling your child at TCG means sending them on a voyage of discovery, where they develop holistically, at a pace that really suits them. They have the freedom to explore their creative abilities through appreciation of art, crafts, music and movement while developing their imaginations expressively. Confidence is allowed to flourish, giving way to the development of social and emotional skillsets which become firmly established. As a result, children are far more capable of coping successfully with the rigorous academic pressures and expectations in the next stage of their educational development - Primary/Junior School.